Catch in Focus?

I've tried to use the catch in focus prog. but it seems I have to use the shutter each time. (K7). Not tried on the K5 yet. On my old Chinon once it was set up I could press the button and walk away and the camera would roll off a whole roll of film as and when something came into focus. Am I missing something in the prog? Surely I should be able to press the button and walk away and let the camera do its own thing when something comes into focus. HELP HELP HELP> CHEERS Vic.

That's exactly what I thought I could do and asked the same question yesterday, but apparently not. I use catch in focus all the time for macro, no problem, but have to keep the shutter button pressed down.

I also thought that there must be a way of setting up a shot, pressing the button and leaving the camera to snap way if anything comes into focus, but I'm told not.

I'd love to find out different.

have tried all combinations of settings but my k5 seems to just fire the shot in focus or not,tried with DA*16-50 with mf switch and an m42 lens on adapter

Have you got the body set to AF?

Should work fine with a manual lens, CIF 'on' and the body set to AF. I have a range of manual lenses and they all work fine with it.

tried again body af ,lens mf on switch and that works as the camera sees the change. i can see why i think ,because i have locked the focus on a point so if the release is fully depressed the shutter will fire as it is told to do in the menu c.3 15. afs setting 1 focus priority= shutter can not be released until subject in focus. as you have put something in focus (your point) the shutter releases. the catch in focus is not cancelling that command

any body else tried with k5 and got it to work. if you have can you publish camera and menu settings please. have i got a faulty camera?

I haven't done this with a K5, but I have used it a bit with a Kx and an old Tamron manual 500mm lens, with quite good results.

The bit that confuses me is where you say "as you have put something in focus (your point) the shutter releases". If you focus on a point where there is something present, and it's in focus, CIF will allow the shutter to release, I can't see how it would "know" that the item that's in focus isn't the one you want the shot of.

In my limited work with it, I was shooting competition cars coming towards me, and the 500mm lens had quite a short depth of field, so I had no problem because when there was no car there, the background was quite a bit further back and therefore out of focus. I assume that if there had been something else there, it would have taken the photo.

Also check the other thread, there's quite a bit of talk in there about compatibility with different lenses that I glossed over as I don't have any of them.

I got a bit confused by last night's post too. I would have replied, but wasn't sure what the problem now was as it seemed to be working correctly.

If you set the body to AF, CIF to 'on', take everything in the viewfinder out of focus then press the button it shouldn't fire. Keep the button pressed and bring the subject into focus and it should.

If it doesn't, can you tell us what does happen?

Hi,

Can I use this on my K-r also?

Ty for helping me out!

now i am awake. yes it does work as you say, what made me muddled was the phrase in the instructions "set the focus on a point" so i assumed you focused on a point and it was the movement of something coming into the area that triggered the camera. that is how i interpreted the instructions. so if you are aiming at a point out of focus it would not be a lot of good a subject crossing that point it would still be out of focus so you need the subject to be coming towards you as with your cars, or is that not right

It's probably easiest to imagine something like a hedge, flat on to the camera, say 30 feet away. Defocus the hedge but move the focusing ring to a point closer, say 10 feet away.

Now let your model walk into the shot. When he or she reaches the point of focus, the camera will fire, and your model will be about 10 feet away when that happens.

Something like that!

Yes, absolutely. I use it frequently with the K-r, but it depends on the lens you are wanting to use it with. Let us know and I can can give you the K-r settings.

I think what the op wanted was a way to leave the camera without having to keep the button depressed and have it take a shot when something comes in focus.
I expect it can be done with a cable release, but not sure how else.

If I use a Pentax-M 50mm 1:1.7 (I only have one lens that plays the game).
I can manually fire the shutter with CIF provided the camera is set to AFS.


It does not work with a cable release, remote IR, or if the camera is set to AFC.

So it looks like the shutter button is treated as a seperate entity to that of a cable release contact.

Comments apply both to the K10D and the K5

regards
Bernard

My Giddy Aunt. I've started something. I am using a manual focus lens ( a Takumar 135 2.5). With my old film Chinon I put a brick in the middle of the bird bath, focused on it then took the brick out of the bath and fired the shutter. Nothing happened because nothing was in focus. I went for a cup of tea and when I came back a roll of 36 frames had captured Black birds HAVING A BATH. I want to do the same with my K7 and/or my K5.
Am I missing something in the instructions?
CHEERS Vic.
EDIT. Do I need a cable release? Vic.